Automatic clothes-line reel.



Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

E. W. POWERS. AUTOMATIC CLOTHES LINE REEL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1911.

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EDWARD W. POWERS, OF WALTI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC CLOTHES-LINE REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, rate.

Application filed June 19, 1911. Serial No. 633,949.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. Pownns, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Valtham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Clothes-Line Reels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a reel particularly adapted to be used in connection with clothes lines, the object of the invention being to provide a reel which may be readily attached to a stationary support and in which a. clothes line may be contained, the same being so arranged that the clothes line can be withdrawn to any desired extent from the reel and then looked in position.

The object of the invention is further to provide a reel in which the clothes line, when not in use, may be quickly and automatically wound up within a suitable casing, which casing is so constructed as to protect the clothes line from the weather.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claim thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved clothes line reel, the weight being shown broken away to save space in the drawings. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the weight beingomitted to save space in the drawings. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 41 is a sectional plan similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modification of the guide-roll and its support. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the modified form of guide-roll support illustrated in Fig. l.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 6 is the casing which, with the exception of the rear wall 10, hereinafter described is formed of a single casting and is provided with ears 7, 7 through which extend screws 8, 8 by means of which the casing is attached to a suitable stationary support 9, such as the side wall of a house.

The casing consists of a rear wall 10, two side walls 11, 12 and a top 13, the top constituting a cover and being concavo-convex in cross section for the purposes hereinafter set forth. A stationary shaft 14 extends transversely of the casing and rotatably mounted upon this shaft are two reels 15 and 16. The reel 15 is contained within a chamber 17 in the side wall12 and has fastened thereto a cord 18, said cord having fastened to one end thereof a weight 19 which operates to rotate the reel 15.

The reel. 16 has fastened thereto one end of the clothes line 20, said clothes line eX- tending from the reel 16 around a guideroll 21, thence through a guide-eye 22 and from the guide-eye 22 the clothes line eX- tends around different stationary hooks in the usual manner and is fastened to one of said hooks at its outer or free end, while that portion of the line adjacent to the reel is fastened by passing the same, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, around two arms 23, 23 forming a portion of a bracket 24, which bracket also embodies in its construction the guide-eye 22, said guide-eye passing through the bracket 24 and through the back-plate 10 and being clamped thereto by means of a nut 25 having screw-threaded engagement with the shank of the guide-eye 22.

The guide-roll 21 is preferably grooved upon its periphery to receive the line or cord 20 and is rotatably mounted upon a curved rod 26 which is fastened at the op posite ends thereof to the sides 11 and 12 of the casing 6. The rod 26 has its concave side toward the shaft 14k and the guide-roll 21 is slidable longitudinally of said rod 26. The periphery of the roll 21 is adjacent to the concave inner face of the cover 13, so that as said roll moves longitudinally of the rod 26 alternately in opposite directions the line 20 is prevented from coming off of the periphery of said roll. The outer face of the cover 13 is conveXly curved and acts as a means for shedding any rain that may fall upon the casing when the same is placed out of doors.

The drum 16 consists of a wooden sleeve 27 which has fastened to its opposite ends, respectively, end plates 28 28 and 29 and 29 said end plates 28 and 29 forming bearings for the drum 16 upon the stationary shaft 14.

The drum 15 has a groove 30 in its periphery located between the annular flanges 31 and 32, the cord 18 being coiled up on said drum between the flanges in the groove 30. The flange 32 has gear teeth 33 formed upon its periphery which mesh into a pinion 34:. The pinion 34 has fastened thereto a gear 35 and said gears 34 and 35 rotate upon a hub 36 on the casing side 12 The gear 35 meshes into a pinion 37 formed upon the end plate 29 of the drum 16, sothat by rotating the drum 15 the gear 33 will rotate the pinion 34 and the gear 35 fast thereto while the gear 35 will rotate the drum 16 by means of the pinion 37 fast to said drum.

The operation of the device hereinbefore specifically described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is as follows: Assuming the clothes line 20 to be coiled upon the drum 16 and said clothes line extending from the drum 16 around the grooved pulley 21 through the guide-eye 22, by pulling upon the free end of said clothes line the drum 16 will be rotated, thus, through the gearing hereinbefore described, rotating the drum 15-, each of the gears and drums being rotated at this time in the opposite direction to the arrows placed upon said gears in Fig. 1, and at this time the weight 19 will move upwardly. When sufficient line has been drawn out and tied to the stationary hooksof the ordinary clothes yard, the clothes line is wound around the arms 23, 23, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and the clothes line is then in condition for use. hen it is desired to coil the clothes line upon the drum 16 it is detached from the clothes yard hooks and the portion thereof which is wound upon the arms 23, 23 is detached therefrom, and when the clothes line is released the weight 19 will descend, rotating the gears and pinions and drums in the di rection of the arrows in Fig. 1 and coiling the clothes line up on the drum 16.

A knot 38 is generaly supplied at the end 1 of the clothes line 20 to prevent the end of the clothes line passing through the screweye 22.

- As the line is coiled upon the drum 16, as hereinbefore described, it will be laid thereon in a series of helices alternately right and port for the guide pulley is illustrated. Re-

tend laterally therefrom in a horizontal direction and are adapted to alternately engage plns 44, 44 fast to the ear 41. Guide rods 45, 45 extend transversely of the caslng 6 and are fastened to the side plates of said casing at their opposite ends, respectively, and between these guide rods the lever 39 plays as it rocks from side to side in the operation of the device during the coiling or uncoiling of the rope upon the drum 16.

The slot 42 in the lever 39 is elliptical in shape with its longer diameter extending longitudinally of the lever and is made somewhat larger than the stud 40 projecting therethrough. In operation, when the lever swings in its arc of movement the axis of such movement changes as necessary. The slot 42, stud 40, arms 43 and-pins 44 are so made and positioned that the path of movement of pulley 21 shall approximate th path of movement of pulley 21.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

A reel having in combination a casing, a drum rotatably mounted in said casing, a cord attached to said drum, a stationary guide for said cord, a guide roll interposedbetween said guide and drum, over which said cord extends, a stationary curved rod with its concave face toward said drum on which said guide roll is rotatably and slidably mounted, one of the walls of said casing adjacent to said guide roll and rod having an inner face substantially parallel with said rod and constituting a guard whereby said cord is held upon said guide roll.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD W. POWERS.

Witnesses LOUIS A. J ONES, IRVING L. RIoI-I.

Contact this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the *Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

